PorfidioI2G Single Malt Whisky 750 mL

Our whisky's name is inspired by the work of the Scottish poet Robert Burns, the bard who brought a tot (or two) of whisky and Auld Lang Syneto New Year celebrations worldwide. So of course it was distilled barley that inspired his creativity, the way it does ours.

The.Barley. Tree is a unique, one could say singular, product, since it is a single-variety (only made from barley and no other grains), single-malt (only made from malted barley), single-cask, single-terroir, single-estate whisky, made from 100% white barley in Australia, single-handedly created by Emiliano Grassl, Porfidio's upcoming second generation.

RAW MATERIAL FEATURES

Against the (other) Grains

Until the 18th century, Scotch, the grandfather of the world's whiskies, was made exclusively from barley. It was too cold to grow wheat or corn in Scotland and malted barley has a high Brix content as well as superb flavor. However, nowadays many distillers use other grains like corn, wheat, rye, spelt, millet, oats, triticale, and even rice and sorghum to make whisky or whiskey. Even so, in spite of this current relaxed commercial trend, we make our single-variety Australian whisky in the old, traditional way, exclusively from locally-grown '100% Barley.'

There are arguments about Taste!

There are whisky yeasts that deliberately neutralize the taste of the grain to produce the old international dry style, and others, such as we use, more innovatively, that tease out the fruity notes from the grain, because we love the taste of a fruity whisky, faithful to its raw distinctive grain, the barley. We do this despite annoying the traditionalists who see us as revisionist recreants for breaking with their tradition. But then again, it's all in the best tradition of Australian wine makers, who themselves broke French traditions!

In the endless argument for and against "character" vs. "lightness," which results from the distillation methodology chosen, we followed the trend of our times, the Irish, rather than the Scots, by eliminating most of the fusel oils, because, personally, that's the way we like it! De gustibus non disputandam est-there can be no argument about tastes!

Size & Wood-Finishing Matters!

Most whiskies/whiskeys are aged in 220 liter barrels, but The.Barley. Tree grows to its full potential ageing in toasted, but uncharred, Australian-made 110 liter Quercus Alba oak casks that, since they are only lightly toasted, rather than cremate the delicate notes of the barley, evoke and enhance them as the spirit ages.

THE PORFIDIO CONNECTION

This single-malt whisky is conjoined with our Porfidio portfolio by being aged throughout its entire ageing cycle - not simply finished! - in casks that previously nurtured Porfidio Auscal to maturity. This ageing technique imbues our single-malt whisky with a delicate hint of soft agavaciousness - the "agave inulin effect," that, beyond the other factors, sets it apart from other single-malts, and makes our whisky even more sui generis, to stand in its own spirits category cross-pollination class.